There has long been an interest in preserving and displaying specimens of various kinds. It is frequently desirable to preserve and display specimens for decorative purposes such as flower buds or blossoms, particularly those that have sentimental value such as from wedding bouquets and other special occasions. Other specimens which are desired for preservation and display are for scientific interests, education or medical training. Such specimens include plant or animal tissue including entire animals such as insects, butterflies, and spiders or particular portions or organs of animals.
Such specimens have been preserved and displayed in a variety of ways. One of the most common is simply the storage of the specimen in a preserving solution or liquid such as formaldehyde where the specimen and the liquid is contained in a glass or a transparent container for viewing. Similar decorative display arrangements for specimens include glass spheres which contain the specimen and water as the liquid containing the preservatives appropriate to prevent spoilage of the specimens in the water. Various disadvantages result from this type of preservation and display including the fact that the specimen may change shape or move in the liquid contained in the display container. The liquid medium also provides an opportunity for various components of the specimen to dissolve or diffuse into the liquid thereby contributing to the change in color or other properties of the specimen contained in the liquid.
Another way in which specimens have been preserved and displayed has been through the use of solid transparent resins such as acrylic resins whereby the specimen is dehydrated, then encapsulated in a clear resin, which is then cured to form a solid block. The block of resin then provides the means for preserving and displaying the specimen. Certain disadvantages have been encountered in this type of preserving and displaying specimens including the tendency for the hard, solid cured resin to crack or shrink or pull away from the specimen during the curing of the resin or after the resin has cured for an extended period of time. Hard resins such as the acrylics also tend to develop internal stresses upon curing which can either cause optical distortions or result in the cracking or shrinking which is undesired. Another disadvantage associated with this type of system for preserving and displaying specimens is the cost of preparing the display.
Another system for preserving and displaying specimens involves the dehydration of the specimen followed by impregnation of the specimen with a resin which preserves the specimen and also provides structural strength for the specimen after it is dehydrated. These systems also include the optional aspect of coating the specimen with the transparent resin to thereby enhance the preservation of the specimen as well as its strength and durability. These types of preserved specimens are also sometimes displayed in glass or transparent display case or removable bell jar or the like.
Various aspects of the above methods and systems for preserving and displaying various specimens are illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 2,567,929 to Fessenden, U.S. Pat. No. 3,607,488 to Yordan, U.S. Pat. No. 4,272,571 to Romero-Sierra et al., and U.S. Pat. No. 4,278,701 to von Hagens. These disclosures are incorporated herein by reference.
It is an object of this invention to provide a more convenient and lower cost article, method and system for preserving and displaying various kinds of specimens. It is an object of this invention to overcome the disadvantages caused by the shrinking and cracking of the hard encapsulation resins as well as to eliminate the disadvantages encountered in preserving and displaying specimens in a liquid medium. These and other objects of this invention will become apparent from the disclosure herein.